Which 14 Seoul tourist attractions make the ‘must-visit’ list?

South Korea’s capital, Seoul, has many great tourist attractions – and 14 of them are featured in the “100 Must-Visit Tourist Spots of Korea” compiled by the Korea Tourism Organisation and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Check out these places to see and activities to enjoy that have made the city’s “must-visit” list. Areas for shops and eateries View this post on Instagram #maxxam #오새봄 #bts #idol A post shared by @ cicici7587 on Feb 7, 2019 at 7:07am PST Comic Con Seoul 2018 showcases the latest in pop culture trends The area near Hongik University, known as Hongdae, has been home to many underground rappers and indie band musicians for decades. Yet unlike other popular shopping areas in Korea, Hongdae has many distinctive individual shops that attract young shoppers to buy trendy apparel at reasonable prices. However, the best reason for tourists to visit Hongdae is for its busking culture, hosted by young performers. People can enjoy various street shows including dance performances. View this post on Instagram 천주교 - Myeongdong Cathedral was the first and most important Catholic Church in Korea and is an important symbol of Christianity in the country. What is your religion? A post shared by Sebastian Greiner-Bär (@greinerbaer) on Feb 9, 2019 at 3:54am PST Myeong-dong is the tourist mecca for shopping in the capital. This shopping street is the most-visited attraction among foreign tourists because it is conveniently situated in the centre of Seoul. Other popular destinations, such as N Seoul Tower and Itaewon, can be reached within 20 minutes. Visitors can also enjoy various snacks from street vendors who sell popular street foods such as tornado-shaped fried potato, tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) and grilled clams. 4 new boutique design hotels to stay in when you are next in Seoul Itaewon is home to more than 200,000 foreigners. The district is known for its many restaurants offering various different international cuisines. Every October, the district holds the Itaewon Global Village Festival, featuring foods and cultural activities from around the world. Many people also like to visit Itaewon during the evenings to enjoy its many exciting bars and clubs. Ikseon-dong, in Jongno district in the north of Seoul, is an up-and-coming, low-rise area that has grown in popularity – particularly among younger people – thanks to the many shops, restaurants and cafes that have opened in the areas small, renovated traditional Korean-style houses, known as hanok. Visitors often expect to experience traditional Korean food in the eateries, but most places serve fusion-style food featuring Western influences made with local ingredients. Much of the area’s appeal is down to the district’s narrow, hanok-lined, zigzagging alleyways, which help to create a unique and engaging atmosphere. Popular landmarks N Seoul Tower – also known as the Namsan or Seoul Tower – is one of the capital’s oldest tourist attractions. It was originally built in 1969 to broadcast radio and television signals in Seoul, but now it has been opened as a cultural complex, including an observatory, museum and Hello Kitty Island attraction. The tower, which stands 236.7 metres (775 feet) tall and sits on top of the 243-metre high Mount Nam, offers panoramic views of the capital. The tower is a popular attraction among many young romantic couples, who come to hang and lock padlocks bearing their names on the tower's fence as a symbol of their eternal love. Another attraction, Seoullo 7017, is an overpass-turned-sky-park, which opened in 2017. It stretches 1,024 metres and connects to 17 venues near Seoul Station. Pedestrians can walk along the sky park between the different venues within 20 minutes. However, it will normally take much longer because people stop to look at the 228 different species of plants growing on the structure. BTS’s Jin pays US$1.7 million cash for luxury Seoul flat Starfield COEX Mall is an underground shopping mall located in the district where convention centres, exhibition halls and hotels are gathered. The mall itself covers an area of 144,000 square metres on a single underground floor, making it Asia’s largest underground shopping mall. Visitors will find no time to get bored at COEX as it houses an aquarium, a cinema, virtual reality game zones and a large-scale bookstore. For K-pop fans, they can stay the whole day at SMTOWN at the COEX Artium, SM Entertainment’s culture complex space, where its museum features musicians’ stage photos, outfits and accessories. View this post on Instagram #coex 오면 누구나 하는 #별마당도서관 #셀스타그램 | The Byulmadang bookstore is a famous tourist attraction in Seoul, Korea A post shared by 최덕호 Instagram하는_인사팀장 (@hr_innovation) on Feb 9, 2019 at 12:54am PST Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which opened in 2014, is probably the most iconic landmark in the Korean design industry. Many people were worried that the building’s spaceship-like design, by world renowned architect Zaha Hadid, would not fit into such a traditional area in central Seoul. However, it has become a successful venue for art and design, hosting the country’s biggest fashion event twice a year and attracting thousands of fashion lovers. The plaza also hosts a night market for people to enjoy street foods and shopping after dark. Lotte World may not be the country's biggest amusement park, but it is the most accessible for city dwellers. People can easily visit the theme park, located in southeastern Seoul, using the subway. It features a large indoor amusement park and also an outdoor park, called Magic Island. The rides at Lotte World may not be as extreme or challenging as those at other theme parks in the country, but many young couples visit Lotte World all year around for its romantic atmosphere and photogenic spots. Lotte World connects to an ice rink, and the country’s tallest building, Lotte World Tower, is just across the street. 6 hipster cafes you need to visit in Seoul Home to five palaces View this post on Instagram 경복궁 ONE FINE DAY gyeongbok palace #imagineyourkorea #seoul_korea #ig_korea #캐논이미지스토밍 #canonimagestorming #bestnatureshot #ok_landscape #ig_great_pics #inspiring_photography_admired #great_captures_nature #bpa_nature #photo_forest_gold #loves_united_nature #bestnatureshot #naturehippys_ #tv_allnature #bestcaptureglobal #magical_beauties #total_asia #fiftyshades_of_nature #splendid_view #magic_marvels #nature_special_ #whywelovenature #ournaturedays #vizorturk_dream #akudankorea #경복궁 #gyeongbokpalace A post shared by Bakti 밧디 (@8ak8ak) on Sep 24, 2018 at 2:43pm PDT Gyeongbok Palace is probably the most famous and most visited palace in South Korea. The main royal palace during most of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom is the largest of the five grand palaces built during the period of Korea’s last dynasty. Joseon kings lived at Gyeongbok Palace. The ceremony involving the changing of the royal guard is held in front of the main gate twice a day – something that foreign visitors picked as their third-most popular activity in the capital in 2011, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Deoksu Palace is located close to Gyeongbok Palace, near to City Hall. It also holds a ceremony for the changing of the royal guard, which takes place in front of the main gate. The grounds of the palace also feature a Western-style garden and fountain. View this post on Instagram Changdeokgung Palace (창덕궁), Seoul . @jameslucian . Changdeokgung was built in 1405 by King Taejong and once called “Donggweol (동궐),” meaning East Palace, since it was located at the east side of Gyeongbokgung. Due to destruction of Gyeongbokgung by Japanese invasion, this palace had served as the main palace for the royal family for the longest time during Joseon Dynasty. . Tag #KoreaNearAndFar and follow @koreanearandfar to be featured. . . . . . #changdeokgung #창덕궁 #seoul #iseoulu #韓国 #visitkorea #koreatravel #imagineyourkorea #ilovekorea A post shared by Korea Near & Far (@koreanearandfar) on Feb 9, 2019 at 6:13am PST Changdeok Palace, located east of Gyeongbok Palace, is famous for its “Moonlight Tour” from April to October, when visitors can experience the nightscape of the palace during a two-hour programme from 8pm. Some descendants of the Joseon royal family lived in the palace until the late 20th century. K-pop group BTS hopes global appeal can boost Seoul tourism Changgyeong Palace, just next to Changdeok Palace, is where Joseon queens stayed and the official government events were held. Gyeonghui Palace was used as the royal family’s private residence. Today part of the palace houses the Seoul Museum of History. Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter This article was originally written by Kim Jae-heun for The Korea Times .

Which 14 Seoul tourist attractions make the ‘must-visit’ list?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}South Korea’s capital is home to the shopping mecca Myeong-dong, trendy restaurant and bar area Itaewon, the N Seoul Tower and five Joseon palaces

South Korea’s capital is home to the shopping mecca Myeong-dong, trendy restaurant and bar area Itaewon, the N Seoul Tower and five Joseon palaces